It's Wednesday - Again !!

Mornings are always stressful at my house.  My son is ADHD !!!  By morning the meds are worn off and we basically have to start every day over from the beginning.  That's why, when August hits I start the back to school countdown.  At first it started as a way to tease about school starting again.  This year, I've decided that it's a sanity check for both my son and myself.  It lets him know what's coming and it lets me know that our daily routine will be changing - again.  It's also preparing us for the school year.  

We got an email from his teacher letting us know this year will be even more academically challenging than all the past years.  We've tried to forewarn Newton that this was coming and that every year would be more challenging than the previous.  Also difficult is the fact that there are new teachers.  In most cases that works out as a positive.  In our case, most of the time it's a negative because we have to start all over from the beginning with expectations and explanations about our family dynamics.  Our son is adopted and so there is a lot of negative history that has to be re-hashed every time there are changes.  And lets face it, our teachers end up becoming part of the family when you are dealing with behavioral/emotional history.

Newton is gone for the day, so I have plenty to keep me busy.  Most of the daily chores don't take long.  I keep a list to keep me on track.  I think I'm a little ADD (are all crafters?) so it doesn't take much for me to go off task.  Like right now - the list is sitting here and I'm working on my blog !!  Yup - ADD :)  

Guess I better get to the laundry, the first load is done......

Things are ticking off that to-do list very nicely and quickly.  It's been a gloomy day:  over-cast, dark, cool and raining.  Very reminiscent of autumn.  As much as I'm ready for it, it is definitely too early.  Unfortunately, that means the laundry has to go into the dryer instead of out on the line.

I am so proud of this rose.  It is from a bush my mom gave me several years ago for mother's day.  I took a cutting and put it in the ground and covered it with an old, large pickle jar.  That was last year.  Here is the first bloom.  Isn't it absolutely gorgeous.  God knew what he was doing when he created the rose.  And pink!!  It doesn't get any better or more beautiful.  I had to share.

Since the weather is cooperating, we are having soup and sandwiches for dinner.  The soup is a recipe my sweet mom made for us when we were growing up.  It was the only tomato we would eat other than catsup.  I know, silly.  Tomatoes are an acquired taste.  One I didn't develope until adulthood.  I also remember my grandmother making this soup when we would visit.   

Mom's Homemade Tomato

48 oz. tomato juice

flour

salt and pepper

1 medium - large onion, finely chopped

Fresh parsley, finely chopped - about 1/4 cup

sugar

Begin with sauteing the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil.

Add 2 tablespoons of flour and let cook for a couple of minutes.

Slowly add the tomato juice and whisk to blend so you don't get any lumps from the flour, although you will have the onions.

Salt and pepper to taste and let juice warm through and thicken.

Add sugar.  This is to just take the bite out of the tomato and balance the flavors.  So add sparingly, to taste.

Stir in the minced parsley.  Serve with warm, buttered bread and enjoy.

This soup freezes well and I always put any leftover away for a quick easy meal for another day.

We like our soup with either orzo, rice, or any other small noodle that's either on hand.  Alphabet is fun, too.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I spent a couple of hours working on organizing my work space.  There seems to be a lot of that going on around Blog Land.  Any way, several years ago a favored aunt passed away.  She had promised me her sewing machine, which I have but am ashamed to admit that I've never tried using it.  Hhmmm, maybe a good project for the winter :)  Anyway, I also got a fair amount of her fabric.  Aunt Rose definitely liked to shop and she had quite a bit squirreled away that she never used.  So I come by my hoarding honestly :)  

While I was moving boxes around, I opened them to determine at a quick glance if things were worth keeping or should just leave my possession.  There are a lot of solid and printed knits and in all kinds of weights.  Most of the prints can definitely be dated back to the 1970s !!!  It's really fun going through them.

Look what I found !!!!!

Vintage cotton prints - at least they look vintage to me !!  The dots look very much like what's popular today in the modern quilts.  The prints have a very vintage feel to them.  I was so excited I had to show you.

Not sure what to do with these, but they were too pretty not to show them as well. Aunt Rose really liked a variety of fabrics, didn't she?  I'll have to do some more sorting and see what else I can come up with.  Maybe some vintage laces......

Thanks for stopping by....

Wishing you a creative day.